AN IRISH EXILE

Evening Star, Issue 19175, 16 February 1926, Page 4

AN IRISH EXILE

EARLY PROTOTYPE OF DE VALERA On Maria Island, a few miles off the east coast of Tasmania, the visitor is shown the ruins of a little cottage and garden fronting the vast expanses of the Pacific (says an ‘Age’ writer). At Port Arthur the guide points to a house among the trees of a hill overlooking the old prison settlement. Of both places it is told that Smith O’Brien lived' there. If one should ask about Smith O’Brien he gets the vague information that he was an Irish oxue, “sent out in the old days.” As a matter of fact, he was in some degree a prototype of De Valera. When in the troubled of the nineteenth century an “ Irish Confederation ” was organised, with the express intention of asserting an Irish republic, Smith O’Brien was elected the first president. But in those times, when Taw was no kid glove affair, the British Government had a speedy and effective method of dealing with such troubles. The “president,” with his fellow conspirators, was (reported to Tasmania —• then Van Dieman’s Land. It may be safely said that few men who came to this southern world in those unhappy days had so vivid and varied a career.

Born in the purple, he was the son of Sir Edward O’Brien, a member of the Irish Parliament, who had strongly opposed the union with England. Educated at the famous public school, Harrow, the young O’Brien went on to Trinity College, Cambridge, where ha graduated with high distinction. At twenty-three lie was a member of the House of Commons. Curiously enough he was at first a strong supporter of the union in oppostion to his father, but before long he changed^sides, stating that the affections of England and Ireland were so alienated as to make an effective union impossible. He became distinguished as violent and uncompromising member of the Irish Party. Immediately after his election as president of the non-existent republic he crossed over to France, in the hope of enlisting the help of the French in the impending struggle for Irish independence. He got much sympathy from Lamartine, the President of th® French Republic, hut nothing mor® tangible. Despite this, after his return he raised the standard of insurrection. A great crowd of peasantry gathered together ,at Boulngh Common. Tho story of the brief campaign is'well told by Alexander Sullivan in his now forgottten ‘ New Ireland.’ Priests appeared on the scene, and wisely and urgently dissuaded the excited peasants. “Where are your armsP’M'hey said. There were no arms. “Where is you commissariat?’’ The multitude was absolutely without food. These exhortations had a profound effect, O’Brien was left with only a lew hum dreds of half-clad and ill-armed pea, santry. A force of police came a gains! him." and located themselves in ) neighboring farmhouse. The peasant brought up hay and straw to fire th' building. But there were five cbi.l dren in the house. ' Their mothei rushed out to o'Bri n n and fluuer self on her knees, imploring for hel children. O’Brien immediately order .A the cessation of the operations. His followers, “disgusted.” writes Sullivan, “ with a tenderness of feeling which they considered out of place on such an * occasion.” dispersed homewards. O’Brien found himself a fugitive in tho passes of tho Kilnamanngh Mountains, with a reward of £SOO offered for his apprehension; but such was the loyalty of the many hundreds of peasants who knew his whereabouts that not one could he induced to betray him. Ho was, however, ultimately discovered and arrested. Although ft number of witnesses absolutely refused to gne evidence against him, he was found guilty of high treason and sentenced to bo hanged. The capital sentence was communted to transportation for life, and in 1849 he was sent out to . . '‘With him there came three of Ins associates, a sloop of war being provided for their conveyance. The story of their voyage is told in the diary ot (VDonohoe, of the exiles, a portion of which was phMHied in the ‘ Hobart Town Courier ’ after their arrival. It deserves to he regarded as a classic of transportation literature. Each dav was spent in strenuous study, O’Brien taking his companions through the books of the Maccabees and Plutarch’s ‘ Lives.’ Doubtless the story of Mattathias and Judas Maccabeus seemed to him to suggest much in his own career. On reaching Tasmania it was found that liberal financial arrangements had been made for them by their'friends in the Homeland. They wore offered their freedom, provided that they gave an assurance that they would not leave tho island. This O’Brien refused to do. He was sent to the prison settlement on Maria Island. He must have known that an attempt would be made to got him away, for he was constantly on the alert for a rescuing ship. At length one appeared, and but for tho accident of the boat which was to carry him to the vessel becoming entangled in a bed of the thick sen weed which grows along that coast, O'Brien, would probably have escaped. The struggles of the oarsmen to get free attracted the attention of the warders, who covered the boat with their muskets and forced it to return. O’Brien was then sent to the prison at Port Arthur, and treated with the utmost vigor. On a platform about the house assigned to him, a sentrv pace* night and day. He was forbichlen to speak to any except his gaolers. A strong wave of sympathy swept through tho island colony, and representations were made on his behalf to tho Imperial Government. His case was fought in the House ol Commons by his brother, Sir Lucius O’Brien, who, hy a curious contrast, was a strong Conservative member. Ultimately instructions arrived that the exile was to be given a ticket of leave. He then made his homo in Hobart, and became a well-known figure in the social life of the town. A Hobart patriarch has assured the writer that lie well remembers being present at a dinner given by O’Brien to celebrate his occupation of a new house in Macquarie street. He speaks of him as a man of noble presence and rich, resonant voice. In jgat, after five years in Tasmania, an unsolicited pardon arrived, its only condition being that the exile must not return to Ireland. Accordingly he went to Europe and settled in Brussels. Hero he wrote a book on tho ‘ Principles of Government,’ containing many reflections suggested hy his stay in Tasmania. In 1856 he returned to Ireland, the embargo against him having been removed. I ? or the rest of his life he rigidly kept himself aloof from politics, but won great note _as a lecturer. _ Tn this capacity he visited the United States and went through England and Wales. It is said that when he died in 1864 his body was followed to his grave in Rathronan Cemetery by more than 15.000 mourners. _ , The historian Lecky has written him an appropriate epitaph. “Few politicians.” he save, “have sacrificed more to what thev "believe to be right, and the invariable integrity of his motives has more than redeemed the errors of his judgment.”